Election 2013: James Brookman for Fifth Ward Alderman of Des Plaines

The following information was provided by Fifth Ward Alderman James Brookman. Patch provides a platform for candidates to share their messages, and does not give endorsements. To share your message with readers for free, add it to the Local Voices section on Des Plaines Patch.

Name: James (Jim) Brookman

Position sought: Fifth Ward Alderman of Des Plaines

Campaign contact information. Please include any or all of the following: website, email address, phone number, Facebook page, Twitter account, mailing address, etc.

Website: JimBrookman.com

Email: james.brookman@aol.com

Phone: (847) 791-9375

Age: 62

Family Include as much info as you like (names, ages, number of children, etc.):

Married to Carla Brookman, daughter – Jennifer.

Education Include degree(s) and school(s):

Attended college at Harper Jr. College, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, and Southern Illinois University.

Occupation:  Retired Des Plaines Fire Department Captain

Political Party: N/A

Official name of your campaign committee (if you have one): N/A

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:

Served as the elected Alderman of the Fifth Ward for the past four years.

Chairman of the Public Works Committee

Vice-chairman of the Public Safety Committee

Member of the Building Codes Committee

I served as an elected Des Plaines Park Board Commissioner for 14 years.

Past President and Vice-president of the Des Plaines Park Board.

Past President and Vice-president of the Des Plaines Professional Firefighters Association.

Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?

As a Park Board member, I was involved in the development of the Mystic Waters Aquatic Park.

Led the initiative to acquire the income producing Golf Center Driving Range.

Member of the Park District and School District bargaining team that negotiated the return of $3 million from the five-corners TIF.

Worked for the City of Des Plaines for over 30 years as a firefighter, paramedic, Lieutenant, and Captain.

Served as a member of the Des Plaines Watershed Team.

What would your priorities be if elected to this office?

My first priority will be to initiate efforts to bring about direct tax relief as a benefit of casino revenue. With $30 million in the reserve fund and $12 million in casino revenue, it is time for tax reduction.

One of my first priorities would be to call upon the new city council to assert itself over the next four years and insist on full involvement of the city council in the decision-making process of the city.

Too many times over the last four years the city council has not been a full partner in important decisions. A permanent city manager was appointed by the former mayor without any meetings with the city council to discuss this appointment. There was no consideration or discussion of a professional search process for this most important staff position in the city. The city pays over $100,000 to three lobbying firms that were selected by the mayor without the involvement of the city council. These practices cannot continue.

Immediately after the upcoming election, I will call for a series of meetings to review and update our strategic plans for the city and revise our priorities and goals. We also need to determine if our current city council meeting structure is meeting the needs of our city. Too often controversial items end up on the consent agenda. I believe that the committee of the whole portion of the regular city council meetings often shortcuts debate and rushes judgments in an ill-advised effort to speed up government. I want good government, not fast government. It is time to take a hard look at the way we conduct the city’s business and make changes where they are needed.

It is also my priority to ensure more open government. The TIF 6 development proposals should be made public and discussed openly before the council makes any decision.

What are the most important issues facing Des Plaines and what would you do as alderman to address them?

Taxes and fees, gambling expansion, open government issues, and public safety.

With $30 million in the city’s reserve fund and $12 million from casino revenue, it is time to reduce property taxes. The zero percent increase in the property tax levy has been a positive step, but it doesn’t go far enough.  What we need to do is to reduce the city’s tax levy by asking for less money from the taxpayers. Also, we need to take a look at the various taxes and fees that were increased to build up the reserve fund. The reserve fund went up in large part because the city added taxes and fees that took money from residents and placed it in the city’s bank account. It is time to evaluate the taxes that were raised and reduce or repeal them if they are no longer needed. I voted against almost all of the taxes that were raised.  When taxes were passed over my objection, I pushed for sunset clauses that would end new taxes at a specific time in the future. Two new taxes are scheduled to expire as of Dec. 31, 2013. 

Gambling expansion is a serious threat to the revenue Des Plaines receives from the casino. The revenue from the first full year of operations yielded Des Plaines about $8.9 million. The first six months the casino was open brought in about $3.2 million. So far the city has earned $12 million from casino operations.

The community is also benefitting from the casino’s commitment to give back $1 million a year to local organizations and charities. In addition, there are sales tax revenue as well as food and beverage taxes that come to the city. When you add the hundreds of thousands of dollars that were paid in permit fees for the construction of the casino, the total benefit to the city has been very substantial and will continue to be a tremendous financial benefit in the years ahead.

Casino expansion threatens the amount of casino revenue the City of Des Plaines receives. Competition from additional casinos, gambling at racetracks and even at O’Hare Field, could have a negative impact on Rivers Casino. The city should not accept the inevitability of gambling expansion and continue to fight all attempts to expand gambling. At the same time, the city should continue to lobby for a renegotiated financial contract that reduces the financial obligations of Des Plaines. Our goal should be to be on an equal footing with all the other casinos in Illinois at some point in the future.

On the issue of open government, I believe we need to make some fundamental changes in the way the city operates. There needs to be more openness and participation by residents.  This is especially true on development and budget issues. The last time the city considered development proposals for the city owned TIF 6 property at Mannheim and Devon, all discussions were held in executive session and a final vote was taken without any meaningful public discussion. The residents of Des Plaines did not know any of the details of the development proposal until after the final vote. I voted against that proposal and I believe that the new proposals that have been received by the city should be discussed openly before any vote. I will make a motion to open the debate on the TIF 6 development at the next city council meeting.

Public safety is a very important issue to me from my background serving on the Des Plaines Fire Department for over 30 years. The residents of this city need to feel safe in their neighborhoods and homes. And, they need to know that competent help is available when their safety is threatened by storms, fire, or health problems. Our new police chief is taking a straightforward and effective approach to dealing with police related matters. I have met with the chief and concerned residents on several occasions and he has been very responsive to concerns about crime and gang related activity. Following an incident at a townhouse complex, he used his contacts with the Chicago Police Department to bring out their surveillance helicopter the next night to let the gangs know they are being watched.

And, he has instituted K-9 unit walkthroughs of these same areas to increase the police presence. Police squad cars that are not busy with emergency incidents are often sent into trouble areas to keep a close watch on neighborhoods. The chief is developing plans to increase lighting where needed and exploring the feasibility of installing observation cameras with townhome association approval.

The idea of positive loitering has been discussed and can be useful in certain neighborhoods. However, law enforcement officials caution that positive loitering can be dangerous in an unstable gang situation and can lead to retaliation against residents. This can be in the form of property damage and personal threats.

What is one of the most important issues facing residents in your ward, and what would you do, if elected, to address it?

One of the most important issues that needs to be addressed in the Fifth Ward is the need for a traffic light at the intersection of Lee Street and Forest Avenue. I will continue to work with the city’s Engineering Department to convince the State of Illinois of the necessity for a light at that location.

One of the important issues that residents have raised is the need for the neighborhoods of the ward to be clean and well maintained. I have become convinced, and it has been confirmed by law enforcement officials, that the better maintained a neighborhood, the less crime. This involves both a commitment by individual residents to keep their property in good repair and a strong effort by the city to do their part to keep public property clean and well maintained.

I have worked with resident volunteers to respond to specific challenges such as the serious tree damage from windstorms. My plan going forward is to organize volunteers to make a determined effort to eliminate litter and eyesores on an ongoing basis.

How do you believe gaming tax revenue collected by Des Plaines should be spent? What should it be spent on?

The casino revenue should be spent primarily on addressing infrastructure needs and paying down debt to reduce interest payments. However, the policy that was passed to make that a mandate was shortsighted and misguided. What residents want and expect from the casino is real tax relief.  Direct tax relief is prohibited by the wording of the resolution regarding casino spending. That needs to be changed and should be addressed by the next city council.

There have been a number of proposals to expand gaming in Illinois. If elected, what would you do to protect Des Plaines’ interests with respect to gaming?

The city needs to continue to retain lobbyists and legal advisors to fight against gambling expansion. These same advisors along with elected officials need to work to guarantee that any gambling expansion bill addresses the harm that will be done to Des Plaines if gambling is expanded. The City of Des Plaines bargained in good faith to get their casino license with the clear understanding that it was the 10th and final license. 

In my view, the state is violating the contract if gambling is expanded because the parties to the agreement both understood that Des Plaines was getting the last gaming license. In any renegotiated agreement, the revenue sharing with other communities needs to be addressed. So far, the main focus has been on the revenue owed to the state of Illinois.  But, the revenue sharing aspect will continue after the state obligation is paid off.  That revenue sharing needs to end at some point in the future in order for Des Plaines to eventually be on an equal footing with all the other casinos in Illinois.

The city has $58.3 million in debt in the capital improvements fund, the tax increment financing funds and the water and sewer fund. Approximately $4.4 million in the capital improvements fund will become callable in 2013. If elected, would you support refinancing this debt or paying it off immediately, and why?

I will ask for a comprehensive financial analysis from our finance department and, if needed, outside financial experts such as Spear Financial to determine the relative benefits of refinancing versus immediately paying off the debt. Interest rates are at historic lows, but payoff of outstanding debt completely eliminates future interest payments. I tend to favor complete payoff of debt when possible, unless it is not financially advantageous. An important advantage of the casino revenue is that the city should be able to address future capital projects without going into bond debt. A pay as you go policy will keep the city is a strong financial position.  This is another reason that the casino revenue is a very good deal for the residents of Des Plaines.

Downtown Des Plaines has a low occupancy rate in the retail spaces in the Metropolitan Square development. If you are elected alderman, what would you do to address this?

I have called on the city manager and the community development director to work closely with the new owner of Metropolitan Square to actively market the retail space in Metropolitan Square. The city can work with potential retail occupants by explaining the various incentive programs offered by the city and supplying information about the many advantages of locating in downtown Des Plaines.

The city can also encourage the new owner to keep rental rates very competitive to attract new business. The property was purchased at a discounted price by the new owner and this should allow for attractive rental pricing. 

The city is spending about $2 million on sidewalk and streetscape improvements in the downtown area. This money comes from the TIF fund and is a wise use of money to reinvest in our downtown area to make it more attractive.

The Des Plaines Police Department is involved with a number of lawsuits, including, most recently, accusations that a former commander falsified records. If elected alderman, what would you do to address the litigation? What would you do to gain the public’s trust in the Des Plaines Police Department?

I have supported the full cooperation of the city with any and all investigations. The guilt or innocence of the involved parties will be determined by the legal system.  I have made it clear to the city manager and the police chief that I support strong and appropriate disciplinary action as warranted. We must have a police force that has the full confidence of the public. 

The choice of an “outside” police chief rather than an internal appointment was a deliberate choice by the city to bring someone in to take an objective look at the department and take action to deal with internal problems.  The new chief knew his mission when he was hired and had a solid history of restoring morale and dealing fairly and firmly with challenges. After making a complete assessment of the department, the chief made a number of demotions and subsequent promotions to send a clear message that he was determined to change the culture of the department in a positive way. 

The police chief’s straightforward, no nonsense approach has been well received by the residents and morale has greatly improved since his appointment.

Why would you do a better job representing Des Plaines than your opponent?

As a retired Des Plaines Fire Department Captain, I am available to devote my attention to ward and city issues. My opponent has a full time job. 

My city related experience e goes back to 1974 when I joined the Des Plaines Fire Department, and includes 14 years as an elected Park Board Commissioner, and four years as Fifth Ward Alderman. 

My opponent’s city of Des Plaines experience is limited to his appointment to the library board a few months ago.  During his short tenure on the library board, he voted to raise room rental rate. I have been a consistent opponent of raising taxes and fees during my years on the city council.

I have held monthly ward meetings the last Wednesday of every month at the Good Shepard Church on the grounds of Lake Park at 7 p.m. In addition to scheduled appearances by city staff and other speakers, there are open discussions of both ward and citywide issues. I receive valuable input at these meetings in addition to many individual discussions with residents of the ward. Over the next four years I will be issuing a quarterly newsletter, both online and in hard copy.

I can represent the residents of the fifth ward effectively because of the many years of institutional knowledge I have regarding issues that have come up since the early 1970’s. I joined the Des Plaines Fire Department in September of 1974. During my years on the department I became involved in the Des Plaines Professional Firefighters Association as an elected officer and as part of the fire department negotiating team. The experience as a contract negotiator for the firefighter’s association gives me a valuable understanding of the labor issues the city deals with. I know firsthand the importance of dealing with our city employees fairly and honestly. When the council discusses contract negotiations, I have a clear understanding of the internal workings of the various departments and the issues that need to be addressed. I know what has been tried in the city during my years of employment and what has worked and what hasn’t. I can save the city from repeating the mistakes of the past.

I served as an elected Des Plaines Park Board Commissioner for 14 years prior to running for alderman of the fifth ward. I went through the annual budget process for each of those 14 years. I was also involved in some exciting projects and successfully pursued unique opportunities. While I was on the board, we expanded Prairie Lakes to include a bike and skate park in addition to batting cages. At my initiative, the Park Board acquired the Gold Center Driving Range. I was involved in the negotiations to purchase that facility. The Gold Center is today a very successful, revenue producing facility that provides a wonderful recreation opportunity and generates revenue to pay for itself and help support other needs in the park district.

I followed every issue that came before the city council for the 12 years that my wife served as alderman. I have a detailed understanding of the successes and failures of the city during that period of time. This kind of institutional knowledge is especially important at a time when the city has so many new people in high level positions such as the city manager, the police chief, and the community development director.

I also have a realistic view of the city department heads. They deserve the respect of the elected officials, but not our unquestioned acceptance of their proposals and recommendations. Over the years many of them have done outstanding work.  But, it is also true that they have made serious mistakes.  For example, during the negotiations involving the 701 Lee St. building garage, the community development director almost gave away years of future garage maintenance fees even though the existing contract clearly stated that the maintenance responsibility of the city was strictly limited.

The final responsibility for the decisions the city makes rests with the elected officials. I understand this and take that responsibility seriously.

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